Do you know someone who ‘found’ a new hobby? For a while it was all they could talk about, then over time, their enthusiasm waned. After a year it was barely mentioned, and the tools of that hobby gathered dust in a distant corner of the garage.

We have sometimes found while talking to online marketing companies, the same pattern of behaviour as we offer business start-up help in the first years of a new enterprise. There is an exciting launch, a blaze of publicity, and powerful use of both online and offline marketing opportunities. As reality sets in, and the daily grind of making money takes over, the initial excitement understandably reduces.

In some cases, we have watched businesses (not our own clients) who, for example, have started with a weekly blog, and then posted nothing for several months. We see Facebook pages, bursting with enthusiasm at the start, where customer comments are now not even acknowledged. This is almost worse than not even having such a presence. Visitors might just assume that this business has ceased trading!

Equally, there are others who satisfy themselves with the occasional burst of activity and then return to their dormant state. This usually occurs due to a new product launch or a sale event. A harsh question needs to be asked: do they not wish to gain, build, and retain a customer base through every day of their trading life?

From day one, and ever after, the use of both offline and online proven marketing techniques is about developing a continuing and lively presence, one that continuously encourages current and future customers into a relationship with that business.